The FIBA World Cup has been a bumpy ride for years now for Team USA. The most dominant team in international basketball history, Team USA only finished in seventh place in 2019. The 2023 team was expected to be a new era redeem team of sorts. With a relatively weaker roster than normal, things haven't been perfect for Team USA. They even lost a second-round game to Lithuania. While there have been some moments of struggles for the Americans, the highs have been very high, and Team USA appears to have gotten on track. The team had their best game of the tournament in the quarterfinals, demolishing Italy by a score of 100-63. The win advanced the team to the semifinals, where they will take on Germany. This article will explain everything you need to know before tip-off.

When and where is the game?

Team USA will face off against Germany in the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup at 8:40 a.m. ET, on Friday, Sept. 8.

The game is at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Despite Japan and Indonesia cohosting the tournament with the Philippines, Team USA has played all of their games in the tournament at the venue.

How to watch Team USA vs. Germany

The basketball game can be watched on ESPN2 or ESPN+. It can be streamed with fuboTV. FIBA's streaming service Courtside 1891 Basketball will also be available in select areas.

*Watch FIBA World Cup games live with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Team USA quarterfinals recap

Team USA played the best defense that they have played all tournament long in their win against Italy. They held Italy's best scorer, Simone Fontecchio, to only 46.2% shooting. Everyone else on the team they completely shut down. Team USA only allowed one other player (Stefano Tonut) to score in double figures.

The Americans' offense has been on point all tournament, as they lead the entire field in points per game at 101.2, but it was a good sign to see them click defensively. One of the biggest critiques against Team USA has been their lack of size and paint defense. They put those concerns to sleep by limiting Italy to 30.7% shooting from the field to go along with six blocks.

The squad was still impressive on the other side of the ball, though. The scoring was led by Mikal Bridges, who had 24 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points and five assists. The Americans spread the wealth against Italy, as 11 of their 12 players scored.

Anthony Edwards had a rough game, only scoring three points, but it was good to see his teammates pick up the slack around him. Team USA has relied on Edwards to carry the scoring burden, so putting on an offensive masterclass without him was important going forward. Edwards tends to take on adversity head-on, and he usually has a big game after a bad performance. So expect a bounce-back explosion from the young star in the game against Germany.

Team Germany quarterfinals recap

Germany won their quarterfinal game in a thriller, 81-79 over Latvia. The Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, led the team in their win. They had 16 points and 12 points each.

Germany is the last unbeaten team in the tournament. Team USA and Germany played each other in an exhibition game earlier. The Americans needed a comeback win to secure the victory but beat Germany 99-91. Team USA trailed by 16 points in the second half before mounting the comeback, but that game was a meaningless scrimmage. The FIBA World Cup semifinal game is different, and the Germans have been the best team in FIBA play.

Team USA vs. Germany

While Team USA has all NBA players, the German squad is stocked with NBA talent as well, and those not on an NBA roster are some of the best international players in the world.

Similarly to how Team USA's best player, Anthony Edwards, had a poor showing in his last game, Germany's best player, Dennis Schroder, also had his worst game of the tournament. Schroder shot only 4-26 from the field, and he just couldn't get the ball to go in the hoop. Both teams will need bounce-back games from their stars if they expect to advance to the final.

While Team USA's biggest weakness has been their size, that is Germany's biggest strength. Germany has a towering lineup that features Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Daniel Theis, and Johannes Voigtmann as four of their best players, all standing 6-foot-8 or taller and dominating in the painted area. Jaren Jackson Jr., a power forward by trade, has been playing small-ball center for Team USA. While he is one of the best shot blockers in the world, he will need help protecting the rim from the Germans' interior attack.

Germany uses an inside-out strategy that thrives because of Schroder's speed. The point guard has looked very comfortable in international play, but things haven't been all lollipops and rainbows for Schroder and his team. The point guard had a heated exchange with head coach Gordon Herbert in their previous win over Slovenia. The two have appeared to make amends, but Schroder followed up the incident with a horrible game, making people wonder if the confrontation was still bothering him.

Germany is scoring 91.3 points per game in the tournament, a solid number, but it has been their defense that they have relied on. They have held all but one of their opponents to under 80 points.

Team USA is offensively focused, while the Germans are defensively driven, so the FIBA World Cup semifinal could go either way. The winner will advance to the FIBA World Cup final against the winner between Serbia and Canada.